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The Gray Jay is grey above, and whitish below, with a white throat and forehead. They have a dull black nape and stripe through the eye. Immature birds are darker. Found in black spruce bogs, the Gray Jay does not migrate, remaining here in the Algonquin Highlands for the winter. Sounds of the Gray Jay include “whee-ah”, “chuk-chuk”, as well as screams and whistles.
Most amazing about this bird is its method of food storage. Since they spend the winter here, and there is no supply of food for them during this time, they must store it. During the spring and summer months they hide thousands of tiny food stores that are placed in trees behind pieces of bark, tufts or lichen. The Gray Jay has specialized and enlarged salivary glands, which it uses to cover food with a sticky coating, gluing it to their hiding places. Food sources include insects, berries, pieces of meat, and mushrooms. They are very tame birds, attracted to campsites, where they take as much food as they can. Instead of eating what is given to them, they will make many trips back into the forest, hiding each piece for their winter survival.
The Gray Jay builds its nest of twigs and bark strips, lined with feathers and fur, placing it near the trunk of a dense conifer. They lay 3 to 5 greyish-green eggs, spotted with dark green-brown. They will often nest in March, while the snow is still deep. This is so that the young will be larger and stronger come spring and, therefore, be able to gather enough food stores to make it through their first winter.
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GRAY JAY
Perisoreus canadensis
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